Asia

Let’s make a journey into deepest, darkest Asia, where wild, untamed creatures live in dense, tropical jungle (rainforest)...

Let’s start by developing an exciting opening sentence that gives some background information.

• Two months had passed since the fire.
• Two months had passed since that fateful day, when fire engulfed the jungle.
• Two months had passed since that fateful day, when fire engulfed the jungle and the animals had fled for their lives.

Do animals have to make changes in their lives?

Let’s imagine...

Two months had passed since that fateful day, when fire engulfed the jungle and the animals had fled for their lives. Now the sun sizzled down relentlessly and the dry shrubs drooped with thirst as their roots searched the scorched ground for droplets of water. Despite the fierce heat, Stripy Tiger, Satin Puma and Little Squeak were striding purposefully along, their eyes fixed on the track in front of them. They paused only for a moment to rest.

“Not far now,” Tiger reassured the others. The journey back had been so hard. His padded paws were sore with painful red blisters and the stripes on his fur were fading as the boiling saucepan of the sun burnt down on him. “We’re home at last,” squeaked little Squeak jumping up and down with excitement.

“Thank goodness,” mumbled Puma, as they limped into the burnt clearing. It had changed. “What has happened to our home?” they gasped. The trees had withered in the heat and the water hole had dried up. Everything was different. “Let’s find Jumbo,” growled Satin Puma.

“We must see if the others got back safely,” chorused the animals in unison. They trampled through the dry bush, until they came to a group of animals huddled together in despair. They were weak. They were hungry and they greeted their friends with sad grunts. “Don’t just sit there. We’ve got to do something to save our home,” whimpered Puma. “We must act quickly,” roared Tiger.

As Tiger took control, his face lit up as his brain clicked into action. He allocated every animal with a task. He commanded the elephants to use their strength to clear away the dead logs. He made snakes slither softly over the blackened soil, smoothing out the deep cracks in the earth. Everywhere there were animals working busily: cleaning, sweeping and planting. What were they doing? They were turning the burnt up jungle back into a land bursting with colour and brightness. Now, Tiger knew he must ask for help. He stared up at the snowy white clouds. He cried out to God,

“Great one, who made the jungle and all things in it, please send us some rain to fill our water hole.” Immediately, his request was answered. Out of the clouds a shower of rain trickled down. The animals, leapt, hopped and danced together. They slurped down the cool, glistening raindrops into their parched throats. The plants soaked up the life giving juice. They sighed with relief as fresh green colour filled their drooping leaves and bright radiant flowers burst into bloom. Tiger announced, “Let’s party.” Every animal shrieked in delight. “Yes, Let’s party.”

Try writing your own animal story.

The climate of Southeast Asia is a warm, damp climate, where huge tropical rainforests grow. Here, in countries like Malaysia and Burma, there are a huge variety of wildlife and tribes of people whose lives have remained the same for thousands of years. There is a new danger. The forest trees contain valuable timber. The logging industry is cutting down the trees and clearing the rain forest.

Imagine that you are an animal or even a tribes person living in the forest that is being cut down. Tell your story. Remember to plan your story. Make a good opening sentence.

As sunlight broke through the dense foliage, elephant paused from his drink by the waterhole. He was startled by a new sound and it was a sound he had never heard before. It was a scraping, screeching, sawing sort of sound. He remembered the warning tiger had given him before he left, ‘be prepared to escape; there is trouble ahead - a danger more deadly than any predator you’ve ever known.” What was it? It was the threat of machines coming into their home - cutting - sawing down their trees. Elephant froze with terror at the thought. MEN! MACHINES! What should he do? Should he warn the other animals?

In paragraph 2 write:

• How the animals prepare to leave together.
• How they run to escape the men bulldozing the trees.
• Is there danger as trees fall?
• How do the characters help each other?
• Build up tension and conflict between the animals.
• How do they deal with: fear, terror? Do they run for their lives?

In paragraph 3 write:

• Where do the animals flee to?
• Think of a place of safety where they can settle back and start a new life.